Android Tablet

[NiN^_^NiN]

Well i just got a Android Tablet for $100

Now it's nothing fancy it's a chinese tablet with an OK processor but it seems to do the job ok

I got it to use as a remote on my HTPC as it cost $50 for a good wireless keyboard and mouse so i thought why not

Only downside is i have to wait for 2 weeks to recieve it

But here's some pics of the unit and a review







Or a quick look through what it can do

[RayB]

The day I ditched my Dell Axim is the day I also ditched stylus based input.   

Let us know how you like it.

[MaineEvent]

Yea I'm not too interested in the stylus thing either...
What job(s) does it do "ok" I thought you had to wait 2 weeks for it?

[opt2not]

Yea I'm not too interested in the stylus thing either...
What job(s) does it do "ok" I thought you had to wait 2 weeks for it?

Yay! A pad with a stylus! I wonder how good it is for drawing.
I'd be interested in seeing the stylus sensitivity in action. Having a light-weight tablet for paint/drawing on-the-go would totally benefit me on my commutes!

I really wished someone like Wacom made a digital artist pad for portable artwork.

Apple should have had stylus support for their iPad. Too bad Apple hates artists. Well, Apple hates Adobe...artists love adobe...therefore Apple hates artists.

[NiN^_^NiN]

Yea I'm not too interested in the stylus thing either...
What job(s) does it do "ok" I thought you had to wait 2 weeks for it?

I should mention that the guy is using a stylus for the video it's just a standard touchscreen nothing fancy at all like the wacom stuff it would be useless as a drawing tablet i believe even for doodles but i'll test that out.

I haven't received it yet but the amount of research i've done on it is insane

It seems to do music and web browsing ok it's nothing fancy and the web browsing is good but of course like the ipad no flash and the cpu isn't fast enough to watch youtube vids in HD quality only standard quality which isn't an issue i don't think but it is an issue if you try to watch movies on this thing as i believe its too slow to watch a quality mp4 file but i've had issues finding that out how video's play so i will test it myself.

I'll do a little review for you guys here on how well it does all the standard stuff

[RayB]

I really wished someone like Wacom made a digital artist pad for portable artwork.

Have you looked into the Cintiq series? (Probably not portable though, I think it requires a PC)

[opt2not]

I really wished someone like Wacom made a digital artist pad for portable artwork.

Have you looked into the Cintiq series? (Probably not portable though, I think it requires a PC)

Yeah, not so much portable. Love the cintiq's...I want the 21UX version so badly, but I don't have a couple grand laying around

[Samstag]

If it can't do youtube hd videos in android then it probably doesn't have any h.264 hardware decoding.  On that processor divx/xvid videos will only work at extremely low bit rates.  Which means it's probably going to be pretty useless for video.

For $100 though I'm sure it'll be pretty cool for other uses.

[NiN^_^NiN]

If it can't do youtube hd videos in android then it probably doesn't have any h.264 hardware decoding.  On that processor divx/xvid videos will only work at extremely low bit rates.  Which means it's probably going to be pretty useless for video.

For $100 though I'm sure it'll be pretty cool for other uses.

Yep i believe so altho on 7" i don't think 360p videos will look bad but yeah id say besides youtube low quality vids it would be useless as a video player

But it's $100 and as you said will be good for other uses im personally using it as a webbrowser which has all my tv and movies on it and starts a movie on my main pc hooked up to my 42" screen using VLC

I previously been creating a htpc interface through html and actually finished it but havent started adding the bells and whistles like searching yet but im gonna adapt it to the tablet using the same interface with a few tweaks

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/aussie_ninja/dvdflow/dvdflow2.jpg

[Edgedamage]

The day I ditched my Dell Axim is the day I also ditched stylus based input.   

Let us know how you like it.

Noooo they make great gps units, also they make great IR controllers for TV/DVD/Stereo recever.

[Level42]

Nice oversized PDA. Nothing like the iPad but not bad for the price. Did you guys notice the iPad clone in that Eken brochure the guy is showing ? Funny  

[NiN^_^NiN]

Nice oversized PDA. Nothing like the iPad but not bad for the price. Did you guys notice the iPad clone in that Eken brochure the guy is showing ? Funny  

The other tablets from eken are made to look like the ipad but with a bigger frame around the screen but they only have a faster cpu than the one i have and i think a webcam thats useless same as the mic.

I got mine cause the faster cpu really isn't worth the extra money when they still run about the same as each other.

As i said great to tinker with but as a proper tablet it's best to wait for a proper company to make a decent one with all the bells and whistles (like able to play HQ videos etc)

[Samstag]

If the webcam faces the user there's already a free app in the market (fring) that will let you video chat over skype.

[NiN^_^NiN]

If the webcam faces the user there's already a free app in the market (fring) that will let you video chat over skype.

Nah the webcam isn't face fronting plus the quality is bad but someone has hacked the one im getting and added a usb webcam and ports for keyboards and usb sticks.

Believe he is using it for skype video calls as well.

[NiN^_^NiN]

I promise i wont update this thread anymore till i have the device but i just found the best use for it ever 

[shmokes]

XBMC has an official remote app for android.  Would that run on this device?  Here's a gallery:  http://code.google.com/p/android-xbmcremote/wiki/Gallery

[massive88]

XBMC has an official remote app for android.  Would that run on this device?  Here's a gallery:  http://code.google.com/p/android-xbmcremote/wiki/Gallery

Edit:  Nevermind.

Looks like there are a couple boxee remote apps for android on the marketplace alone.

[Samstag]

I promise i wont update this thread anymore till i have the device but i just found the best use for it ever 

Eken M001 ScummVM Day of the Tentacle (Android)[/url]

Sweet!  I'm still waiting for a scummvm that works on my Droid.  Now I suppose I need a tablet.

XBMC has an official remote app for android.  Would that run on this device?  Here's a gallery:  http://code.google.com/p/android-xbmcremote/wiki/Gallery

Edit:  Nevermind.

Looks like there are a couple boxee remote apps for android on the marketplace alone.

The apps on the marketplace look like crap compared to the one shmokes linked.  If you were wondering where to find it, just click the downloads tab from the gallery.

[NiN^_^NiN]

XBMC has an official remote app for android.  Would that run on this device?  Here's a gallery:  http://code.google.com/p/android-xbmcremote/wiki/Gallery

That would run but the issue is that they could of coded and not implemented the bug fix so it might be stuck at the top left corner running at around the phone size

If it does do full screen then im sure it would work well altho selecting 1 dvd then having to watch the details for it come up instead of using the extra space of the tablet might annoy you.

I can try it for you but i don't have an xbox so i don't think that would help.

I have read that people with a proper android tablet (Archos 5) seem to be using it ok altho that one uses a 5" screen so how it would work on this one i don't know but at $100 give it ago if its not useful its still useful on other things and isnt a waste of money at such a low price point.

You could ask the guys over at slatedroid to do a test im sure someone could test it out.

[shmokes]

I can't recommend enough that you get XBMC.  It outgrew the Xbox long ago.  The newest versions don't even support the XBOX.  You can get versions for Windows, Linux, Mac or AppleTV.  It's a phenomenal program.

[NiN^_^NiN]

All i can say is i like to diy and prefer making my own than downloading this includes htpc software but thats just the way i am 

I'll see if i can get some time and quickly setup xbmc and try the remote app for you

[shmokes]

If you know you won't run XBMC, don't worry about it.  I know I won't be in the market for such a tablet any time in the near future.  I was more just curious, mainly for your sake.

[massive88]

The apps on the marketplace look like crap compared to the one shmokes linked.  If you were wondering where to find it, just click the downloads tab from the gallery.

That may be, but Boxee is set up to only need up, down, left, right, enter and esc.  XBMC might be the same way, I dont know though since I havent used it.

I tried the first hit off the market place, the one by Sunil Sadasivan, and it worked quite well.  It also allowed me to use my keyboard in text fields if I need to.  Thats all I need.  Infact, it inspired me to go ahead and build an HTPC from my spare parts lying around I was so happy with it.

[shmokes]

Of course Xbox Media Center (and any other media center software) is made to work with regular directional controls.  But if you don't see how the remote I linked to is vastly astronomically superior to that, I think you just haven't thought it through.  For one thing, the remote I linked to does do the directional controls.  But being able to search through your library on the device is huge.  If you're in front of the TV it's much faster than using arrows.  Since your touch-screen has no tactile feedback like a regular remote you need to actually look at the device to use it, but then you have to look up at the TV to see where you are, and so on.  It's much more efficient to be able to scroll through the library on the device, zipping through lists with a flick of your finger.  But this also allows you to manipulate your music library when you're not in front of the TV (hell, you can turn the TV off!).  It's really much, much better.  

[NiN^_^NiN]

I agree as using directional controls is fine for basic navigation it's not the best but it's the most common interface that people use.

Being able to have the visual interface combined into the control interface in the one device does wonders and opens up new doors and interactivity and efficiency like searching for videos and scrolling huge lists as shmokes suggested.

And as shmokes pointed out now that you have the visual interface combined with the control interface you can do things like control your music without having to use the main display anymore.

[massive88]

Of course Xbox Media Center (and any other media center software) is made to work with regular directional controls.  But if you don't see how the remote I linked to is vastly astronomically superior to that, I think you just haven't thought it through.  

Or I just didn't look past the first two pictures, my bad.